Historic Buildings

Inside the Tenuta San Guido, there are some buildings that, because of their location, their history, or both, deserve some attention. Two of these are Castiglioncello of Bolgheri, which, at 393 meters, is the highest residential locality of the municipality, and the Oratory of San Guido, the octagonal church at the end of the cypress alley of Bolgheri.

Castiglioncello

When Castiglioncello was built, supposedly around 780 A.D., the location made it initially a perfect retreat and subsequently an impregnable fortress.

It changed hands many times during the centuries, and often belonged to the Counts della Gherardesca up until 1400, when it went to the Soderini and then the Incontri families.

Count Cammillo della Gherardesca, ancestor of the present owners, bought it back in 1801 from the Incontri, marquises Volterra, who had in turn purchased it by the Monte di Pieta of Florence, with which the Soderini family, owner of Castiglioncello in 1441, had contracted an inextinguishable debt.

A witness to the passage of these families over the centuries are the baptismal font in the church of San Bernardo, and the jamb of a door, both bearing the coats of arms of the Incontri and Soderini families. These can also be found in the armory, among the paintings of the coats of arms of all the owners.

But the most important privilege, at least in the last two centuries of the history of Castiglioncello, is to have been the first winery of the the first vineyard of Sassicaia, which stands right below.

Castiglioncello of Bolgheri is open (only to be visited from outside) on July 16th, the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

Oratory of San Guido

The building depicted on the label of the Guidalberto wine is located at the end of the cypress alley of Bolgheri. It was built by Simone Maria della Gherardesca in 1703 in honor of Saint Guido della Gherardesca (Pisa, 1060 - Pisa, 20 maggio 1140 †) and was built by master stonemason Romolo Bella from Fiesole.

The idea was to give the area an oratory for the fulfillment of the Sunday mass, especially during the period of great work, when the pauses had to be reduced to a minimum, due to the costs and dangers of malaria.

As if that were not enough, the construction, which was a very popular practice for church planters, would bring decorum and secure benefit to the career of his nephew Thomas, who already in 1700 became vicar general, and in 1702 Bishop of Fiesole.

In fact, a few months after the construction of the church, November 12, 1703 Bishop Tommaso Bonaventura was appointed Archbishop of Florence.